As to the origin of the name of this river, there are two opinions. By some, it is believed to be a word of French extraction, given to the bay and river, by the Indians, in honor of the first French trader who visited the country. In Champaigne county, Illinois, there is now living, a man of this name, who claims that one of his ancestors settling at an early period upon the Sandusky, and becoming a great favorite among the Indians, they, as a mark of respect, gave his name (Sowdowsky) to the river and bay.

By the tradition of aged Indian warriors, given to the late William Henry Harrison in the friendly chat of the wigwam, when he first became acquainted with the north-western tribes, the following appears to be the origin and signification of the word Sandusky. After the naval conflict upon the lake, between the Wyandots and Senecas, mentioned in Chapter I., these conquering bands, having landed at Maumee, followed the lake shore towards the east, passing and giving names to bays, creeks, and rivers, until they arrived at Cold creek, where it enters the Sandusky bay. Being charmed with the springs of clear, cold water in this vicinity, they pitched their tents and engaged in hunting and fishing. By them (the Wyandots) the bay and river was called Sandusky; meaning in their language, "at the cold water."

"I have a note of conversation," says John H. James, in the American Pioneer, "with William Walker, at Columbus, in 1835-6, at which time, he was principal chief of the Wyandots, at Upper Sandusky, in which I asked the meaning of the word, Sandusky. He said it meant at the cold water,' and should be sounded San-doos-tee. He said it 'carried with it, the force of a preposition.' The Upper Cold Water, and the Lower Cold Water, then, were descriptive Indian names, given long before the presence of the trader, Sowdowsky."

In the vocabulary of Wyandot words, given by John Johns

ton, Esq., formerly Indian agent in Ohio, as printed in Archælogia Americana, Vol. I. p. 295, the word water is given, Saun-dus-tee; and in page 297, he gives the name of Sandusky river, as Sa-undustee, or water within water pools.

The Sandusky, compared with most of our western rivers, is rapid and shallow. It becomes quite low during the summer months; but in the spring and fall, it generally fills its banks, as also, during the winter months.

The greatest rise of waters ever known in this river, occurred in January last. In 1821, according to the observations of one Spicer, an Indian captive, who had then lived nearly forty years upon its banks, the water rose that year higher than it had before, since his recollection. In January last, it was con

siderably above the mark of 1821.

In 1819, Paul D. Butler, in the employ of Robert Armstrong, a sketch of whose life will be given hereafter, erected a saw-mill upon this river, between what are now the towns of New Fort Ball and Tiffin, which was the first mill in the county. It was a miserable affair, and was soon after demolished. There are, at this time, seven grist-mills, and several saw-mills upon this river within the limits of the county. The land along the Sandusky is very fertile, and as you recede from the river towards the west, it is generally level, and in some places inclining to be wet. In the eastern portion of the county, the soil is more clayey.

Honey creek, the largest tributary of the Sandusky, rises in the New Haven marshes, near the corners of Richland, Crawford, Huron, and this county, and passes directly into the latter, in Venice township. Taking a north-westerly course through Venice, it enters the township of Bloom, near its north-east corner. Pursuing a south-westerly direction through Bloom, it passes into Eden township; and after making a large curve

in Eden, it leaves the latter township near its north-west corner, and in Hopewell falls into the Sandusky.

The first grist-mill erected in the county was upon this creek, just above the site of the town of Melmore. It was built in 1821, by Ezra and Case Brown. The first grist ground in this mill, was for a Mr. Free, of the township of Bloom. The event was hailed with great joy by the early settlers, as they were now relieved from those long and tedious journeys through the wilderness, to Upper Sandusky, Monroeville, and Mt. Vernon.— In 1827, another mill was erected upon this stream, by John Kinzer, (an early settler from the state of Pennsylvania,) a little below the present village of Melmore. er since resided upon the banks of this gent man, and much respected citizen. ed its name from the appearance of the water when high, which very much resembles honey.*

Mr. Kinzer has evcreek-a very intelliHoney creek receiv

Wolf creek, another tributary of the Sandusky, rises in the south-west part of the county, and after passing through Seneca, Hopewell, and Liberty townships, it finally falls into the Sandusky river, in Sandusky county, soon after it enters its limits. This stream, running through a level country, is somewhat sluggish. It received its name from the circumstance of a great number of wolves formerly inhabiting the swamps near its source, and the thickets around the wet prairies, a little west of its mouth.

By an act of the General Assembly of Ohio, of the 22d of January, 1824, Seneca was organized into a separate and distinct county. All justices of the peace, and other officers were to continue to discharge the duties of their respective offices un

*There are several sink-holes in the bed of this stream, into which much of the water precipitates itself, and many are of the opinion that were these filled, as they say might be done with a limited expense, sufficient water would run the year round, to drive the several mills located upon the creek.

til their successors should be chosen and qualified according to law.

It was farther provided, that all qualified electors residing in the county, should meet in their respective townships, on the first Monday of April, following, and elect their several officers until the next annual election; and until others were chosen and qualified according to law.

It was also enacted, that all suits and actions, whether of a civil or criminal nature, which had been commenced, should be prosecuted to final judgment and execution; and all taxes, fines and penalties which were due, should be collected in the same manner as if the act had not been passed.

This act took effect, the first day of April, 1824, and according to its provisions, elections were held in the townships of Thompson, Seneca, Eden and Clinton, these being the only ones then organized. The county officers first to be chosen, were a sherif and coroner. For the former office, Agreen Ingraham received one hundred and ninety votes for the latter, Leverett Bradley received two hundred and six, and both were elected.

The first county court was held the 12th of the same month, at Tiffin, in the house at present occupied as a Masonic hall. It continued about thirty minutes; during which time a county surveyor was appointed ;* and a clerk of the court†, pro tem. Hon. Ebenezer Lane presided at this court as president judge, and William Cornell, Jaques Hulburd and Mathew Clark were his associates.

On the 12th of October of the same year, the first annual election was held in the county, and the ticket elected was as follows:

Sherif,......... Agreen Ingraham.

* David Risdon. Neal McGaffey.

During the same year, a prosecuting attorney was appointed by the court of Common Pleas ;* and a treasurer,† by the county commissioners. [For a list of county officers, see Appendix.]

Immediately after its organization, the affairs of the county commenced with a successful tide of operation. Courts of justice were established, officers chosen, townships organized, roads constructed, mills erected, and the dense forests fallen by the sturdy hand of industry.

* Rodolphus Dickinson. Milton McNeal,